


Firelight Flickers

by Kunabee



Series: Fates Undecided [6]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Gen, godchild au, just a peaceful dinner, no drama here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24977683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kunabee/pseuds/Kunabee
Summary: There's a human kid in Grillby's bar. He knows what to do.(Set in Underfell AU)
Relationships: Frisk & Grillby (Undertale)
Series: Fates Undecided [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1516946
Kudos: 31





	Firelight Flickers

The human child sits there in the bar stool with their legs dangling, obviously human and obviously soft in a world that is hard and cruel. There's nobody around to protect them this time, but they came here of their own free will and gave Grillby gold for fries and a milkshake.

The fries they ate, stuffing it into their face like they were starving. Maybe they were, for all he knew. Now they sipped on the milkshake, savoring it. It wasn't poisoned, and it wasn't alcoholic. They were a kid - stripes on a sweater. It didn't stop some people, but it stopped Grillby.

His purple flames flickered as he scanned the bar. The dogs were in their requisite corner, trading harsh barbs with each other as they played poker. Lesser Dog was losing, but Lesser Dog was capable of losing against its self, so that was to be expected. The jukebox had recently been fixed by _Sans_ , of all people. Well, Grillby figured that _was_ part of the reason he had a tab and all. Birdly is there, as usual, at the very end of the bar stools, glaring at the human. There's one reason and one reason alone he hasn't attacked yet: _not in my bar_.

It was Grillby's one rule. No fighting in his bar, no trouble. And as an elemental, he had enough firepower (oh, Sans would love that one, that scum) to back up that rule.

The kid just smiled all warm and soft at Birdly, causing him to ruffle his red feathers and scoff, turning back to his drink. They seemed careless, open. Soft. Grillby could take their SOUL and nobody would argue with him if he presented it to the king. But there was just something about him.

So Grillby polished his glass. The kid finished their milkshake, spun in their bar stool. They pillowed their head in their arms, yawning, and then closed their eyes. Were... were they going to _nap_ in his _bar_? Just there, on a stool?

He shook his head but didn't kick them out. Their striped sweater was a reminder of all the values that used to exist in the Underground.

Eventually, closing time came. Birdly was still there, and the drunken bunny Layla. Grillby shuffled them out.

The kid was still sleeping on the bar.

It was closed, now. He tempered his flames, made sure they were warm but not burning. He scooped the child up - they stirred.

Slowly, they blinked at him, their reddish-brown eyes squinted as they made a soft noise of waking.

"Sorry," they whispered, "I'll leave now."

Grillby didn't respond. He carried them through the back door, up the stairs to his apartment. There, he set them on the couch. Sans stayed the night, sometimes, so he had a blanket and a couple of pillows for the skeletal gremlin. Tonight, they can be used for the tiny human child.

"...sleep..." he rasped, flames crackling. The shock in their eyes is gratifying.

"You don't have to," they said, sitting up. Grillby frowned at them, and something in his gaze made them lay back down and kick off their sneakers.

It was dangerous, bringing a human to where he slept. He knew what humans could do, even the children. He had first-hand seen his entire clan wiped out, fire elementals struck from the annals of history - every last one except for him. Gerson, the Hammer of Justice, had saved his life that day. And then, of course, the humans showed a twisted and messed-up kind of mercy when they imprisoned them down in this hellhole.

The Underground was harsh and cruel because of what the humans had done. But for just one night, perhaps Grillby could show some gentleness. Stripes still meant something to the old-timer. And the kid... they looked tired. They _were_ tired. Falling asleep in a strange bar like that... Something about their stubborn, tenacious kindness gave him the impression that it was not due to naivety. Even now, Grillby could recognize when kindness existed _in spite of_ circumstances instead of _because of_ them. 

Knowing that the human was asleep, the fire elemental went to his room, peeling out of his clothes before settling into the large stone basin that served as his bed. He spread out, flames licking at the various detritus he left there to consume during the night. When he woke up, the blanket was neatly folded, there was a plate drying by the sink, and there was a little note on top of the blanket.

_Thank you_

_\- Frisk_


End file.
